Cardboard box



Sept. 22, 1942.

D. LEVKOFF CARDBOARD BOX 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15, 1940 IN VENTOR.

04 W0 A [VA/OFF ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 22, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARDBOARD BOX David Levkoff, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application February 15, 1940, Serial No. 319,001

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cardboard boxes and has for its primary object, a twin section box in which merchandise and other articles may be packed and the box carried in satchel fashion.

Another feature of the invention resides in a cardboard box composed of two hingedly connected complementary box sections which may be swung to a closed position with the open sides thereof in confronting relation, or to an open position to attractively display the contents of the box when articles of merchandise are packaged. therein.

Other features of the invention are to provide a novel releasable means for locking the two hingedly connected box sections in closed position; to provide hand grip elements integral with the inner side walls of the boX sections to facilitate the carrying of the box; and to provide registering nest openings in the inner side walls of the box sections to receive an article or articles to be packaged and sold in the box.

A still further feature of the invention is the provision of a suitcase type box which is cut, scored, and folded from a single blank of cardboard, the blank being substantially rectangular in plan which results in a minimum waste of material in cutting the blanks from cardboard stock.

Other features of the invention will become apparent as the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the box in closed locked position.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the box in open position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan View of the blank from which the box is constructed.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the box in open position illustrating the manner in which the compartments may be formed to provide a picnic lunch box.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral l designates my improved satchel-type box in its entirety, and by reference to Figure of the drawings, it will be seen that it is constructed from a single blank A of rigid cardboard, corrugated board, or other like stiff foldable material. The blank of material A is substantially rectangular and is cut, scored, and 55 folded in a novel manner to be described to provide a pair of substantially identical complementary box sections B and C which are hingedly connected at their bottoms by a connecting base section D. The box sections B and C are substantially identical in construction and a description of one will suffice for the other, however, the slight differences between the box sections will be specifically explained.

Each box section B and C comprises an outer side wall II which has its bottom edge contiguous to the connecting base section D and hinged thereto at one side along the fold or score line l2. Contiguous with the top of the outer side wall II is a top wall [3 which is separated from the side wall by a score or fold line H which is parallel to the hinge score line l2. Contiguous with the top wall of fold line I5 is a flap It. The ends of the fold line l5 terminates in slits l'll'| with which top corner flaps hereinafter described interlock when the box section is in folded set up position. Contiguous with one end of the outer side wall I4 is a glue flap I8 which is foldable inwardly to a position at right angle to the side wall I I' on the fold line I9, which fold line is in alinement with the ends of the base section D and top wall [3. Contiguous with the other end of the outer side Wall II and separated therefrom by the fold line 20 is an end wall 2|. The top and bottom edges of the end wall 2| are flanked by top and bottom corner flaps 22 and 23 respectively and which are separated from the end wall by fold lines 24 and 25. The fold lines 24 and 25 are in alinement with and form a continuation of the fold lines l4 and I2 respectively. That edge of the top corner flap 22 which confronts the fold l5 when the box section is folded is provided adjacent the fold 24 with a tongue 26 which is formed by cutting away the outer portion of the edge of the flap. The tongue 26 interlocks with one of the end slits H. The bottom corner flap 23 of the box section B is provided with a diagonal slit 2'! to oc y receive one end of the bottom wall presently to be described. Connected to the end wall 2| along the fold line 28 is an inner side wall 29 which is of a length and height equal to the outer side wall II The fold line 28 defines one end of the inner side wall 29 while a fold line 30 defines the other end of the same and separates the inner side wall from an end wall 3|. The top and bottom edges of the end wall 3| are flanked by top and bottom corner flaps 32 and 33 respectively and which are separated from the said end wall by fold lines 34 and 35.

Like the top corner flap 22, the corresponding corner flap 32 is provided with a tongue 36 which interlocks with the other end slit I1. Like the bottom corner flap 23, the bottom corner flap 33 is provided with a diagonal slit 3! which receives and interlocks with the other end of the bottom wall 33 which is contiguous with the bottom edge of the inner front Wall 29 but separated therefrom by a fold line 39 which fold line is in alinement with the fold lines I2, 25, and 35.

Integral with the inner side wall 29 and extending beyond the top edge thereof is a hand grip element 49 having finger openings 4| therein. The hand grip element 40 is located midway between the ends of the inner side wall and when the box sections B and C are in set up and in closed position, the hand grip elements 49, 49 abut with the openings 41 in registration to permit of the passage of the fingers of the hand of a person for carrying purposes.

Hinged to the top edge of the inner side wall 29 at one end thereof along the fold line 42 is a bridge fiasp 43 which is of a width equal to that of the top wall 43 over which it is foldable. Formed integral with and extending from the free outer edge of the flap 43 is a locking tongue flap 4d, the latter being foldable inwardly at right angle to the flap 43' along the fold line 45. The flaps 43- 53 of the box sections B and C are respectively located at opposite ends thereof so as to be offset relative to each other. The tongue flaps 44-44 of the bridge flaps 4343 are received in slots 45-46 provided along a portion of the fold lines l4--l4, and they likewise are offset relative to each other. When the box sections 13 andC are set up and in closed position, they are locked by the tongue flap 44 of the box section B entering the slot 46 in the box section C, while the tongue flap 44 of the box section C is received by the slot 46 of the box section B.

The locking of the bottom walls 38-38 are slightly different which byreference to Figure is made necessary for conservation of cardboard stock. As'previously explained, the bottom wall 33 of the box section B interlocks in the slits 27-21 of the bottom corner flaps 23 and 33', when the blank is folded into set up position as best seen in Figure 2. The bottom wall 38 of the boxsection C has a flap 41 integral therewith and which is foldable on a fold line 43. The flap 4'! is folded at right angle to the bottom wall 38 to which it is attached and is inserted against the inner face of the outer side wall when the box is in set up position.

In Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the inner side walls 2929 are provided with like complementary coffin-shapedopenings 49 for the purpose of receiving a ham H which is illustrated in dot and dash lines in Figure 4, although other shapes of openings may be provided for the packaging of other shapes of merchandise. The cardboard material which must be removed to form each opening 49 is utilized by slitting the inner side wall 29 in a novel manner to provide wall flaps 50 which fold inwardly on the fold lines 5| and which serve to box-in the opening and form a nest for the article to be packaged. The lined upper and lower flaps 59 are provided with feet fiaps 52 foldable on the fold lines 53'.

When folding the blank A to effect a setting up of the box sections B and C, the same is first folded on the parallel fold lines I9, 29, 28, and 33. The glue flaps l8 are glued to the inner side of the end Walls 3 i which brings the outer side walls ll, inner side walls 29, and end walls 2| and 3| into erected position. The top corner flaps 22 and 32 are folded inwardly on the lines 24 and 34, after which the top walls l3 are folded on the fold lines l4 and the flaps [6 on the fold lines l5, whereupon the flaps [6 are inserted inwardly against the inner side walls 29. The top walls l3 are now locked by engagement of the tongues 26 and 36 with the slits |1I1. The bottom corner flaps 23 and 33 are folded inwardly on the fold lines 25 and 35 after which the bottom walls are folded inwardly on the fold lines 39. The bottom wall 38 of the box section B has its longitudinal edge inserted in the slits 21 and 31 of the corner flaps 23 and 33, whereas the bottom wall 38 of the box section C is secured in bottom forming position by folding the flap 4'Linwardly on the fold line 48, and inserting the same against the adjacent outer side wall! I; The box is now folded to the position shown in Figure 2 whereupon the flaps 50 may be folded inwardly to form the complementary openings 49. 'The flaps 59 having the feet flaps 52 are pushed inwardly to a position to wedge into the corners between the outer side walls II and the top and bottom walls l3 and 38 as best illustrated in Figure 3. These particular flaps may be termed braces for they brace and assist in maintaining the space between the inner and outer side walls 29 and H respectively. To close the box I3, the box sections B and C are swung inwardly toward each other on the hinge fold lines l2-l2, whereupon the bottom walls 389-38 rest upon the connecting base section and the inner side walls 29-29 abut, which brings the hand grip elements 49'4l into register as best seen in Figures 1 and 3. The box I!) may now be locked in closed position by folding the flaps 43-43 over the top'walls I3.-|3 and inserting the tongues 44 -44 thereof into the respective slits 49-46.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that an article or articles may be packaged within the twin sections B and C of the box and the box carried by the hand in the manner of a suitcase or satchel. Should it be desired to display merchandise packaged in the box ID, the box sections may be folded upon each other on the.

fold 'line 54 which' is disposed midway of the connecting base section D and extends the length thereof. The exterior of the outer side walls provides a large advertising space on which advertising indicia'may be printed which is representative of the merchandise packaged Within the box.

In Figure 6 of the drawings, I have illustrated a box constructed identically to that in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive,'except that the inner side Walls 29 of the box sections B and C are provided with relatively large rectangular shaped openings 51,, the openings 51 of the box section C being closed by a hinged flap 58. Thus the inner sides of the box sections resembles an ordinary suitcase and a box of this design may be used as a picnic box for the packaging of picnic lunches. The cost of making a box in accordance with this invention is such that when the box is used as. a picnic lunch box it may be discarded without any appreciable loss to the user.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the most practical construction of my invention, 'Iwish it to be understood that such changes in design and construction as come within the scope of the appended claims may beresorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A box comprising a pair of rectangular shaped cardboard box sections, each of said box sections including spaced inner and outer side walls, end walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall; the inner side walls of said box sections having openings therein for access thereto, means hingedly connecting said box sections together for swinging movement to a closed position with the inner side walls in confronting relation or to an open position with the inner side walls facing upwardly, and a foldable locking flap integral with the top edge of the inner side Wall of each box section, the top wall of each box section having a slot to interfittingly receive the locking flap of the other box section when the box sections are in closed position.

2. A box comprising a pair of rectangular shaped cardboard box sections, each of said box sections including spaced inner and outer side walls, end walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall; the inner side walls of said box sections having openings therein for access thereto, means hingedly connecting said box sections together for swinging movement to a closed position with the inner side Walls in confronting relation or to'an open position with the inner side walls facing upwardly, a foldable flap integral with the top edge of the inner side wall of each section and disposed at one end thereof, a slot provided in the top wall of each box section adjacent the other end thereof, and a foldable locking tongue on each foldable flap, whereby the folding flap of each box section may be folded over the top wall of the other box section and the folding locking tongue thereof inserted in the slot in the last named box section.

3. A box as set forth in claim 2, including a hand grip element integral with and extending beyond the top edge of the inner side wall of each box section midway between the ends thereof to facilitate the carrying of the box in satchel fashion when the box sections are in closed p0- sition.

DAVID LEVKOFF. 

